Major Sunday Solemnities

Strange elements in the epiphany help to communicate the reality of God’s existence to us. We see the
Magi from the gentile territory, the star that leads them, and their special gifts for the infant Jesus. The Magi’s statement on arriving Jerusalem is, “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matt. 2:2-3). From that
point onwards, a lot began to unfold. Herod is troubled, feels threatened, and goes into panic attack. He summons his cabinet and conducts series of interview to know about this new king. Herod’s intention is to do away with the infant-king. He pretends
to be in favor of this child and tells the Magi, “Go and search for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” That is the height of sarcasm, humanity tries to mock divinity. However, the Magi receive
a warning in their dream to return from a different route after visiting the infant Jesus.

Few questions might be asked in the gospel of today regarding the epiphany of Christ:
Why do these wise men abandon everything to search for Jesus? How are these wise men able to see and notice something unnoticed by so many others? Why would they give gifts to the infant Jesus?

It is clear that the Magi take great risk. They set out on a long journey with the goal to discover the newborn king. They abandon their safety, home, and comforts to visit Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah declares about Jerusalem in the first reading,
“Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” The visit of the Magi fulfills the prophecy of the Lord. They do him homage.

The Magi teach
us to search for Jesus with everything we possess. From their experience, we learn that the search for Jesus is not always easy. Sometimes, those who search for Jesus encounter the likes of Herod who are uncomfortable with religion, those who see the worship
of God as meaningless. Most Herods might occupy powerful positions in the society or in the family. Sometimes, the Herods are capable of deciding our fate. The Herods make the search for Jesus tough. In Saint Paul’s case, he encountered a certain Alexander
the Coppersmith who opposed every bit of the truth of the gospel (cf. 2 Tim. 4:14). However, God shows his supremacy by guiding us in safe directions. God does not abandon his own. He guides us in the right path because he is true to his name. That is why
he appeared to the Magi in the dream and led them safely through a different route unknown to Herod.

The second question is how the Magi are able to see the star which is not visible
to so many others. We can connect that to Christ’s prayer in the gospel which goes this way, “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the leaned and the clever and revealing them to mere children” (Matt.
11:25). What “things” would God not reveal to the learned and the clever? They are the mysteries of God’s kingdom. The learned and the clever refer to the proud and arrogant. Mary’s Magnificat says, “He has scattered those who
are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble” (Lk. 1:51-52). Herod represents the proud and arrogant who cannot see the star. The Magi represent mere children, the simple of heart
who are guided by the star of God’s wisdom. They see what the “mighty” and arrogant Herod cannot see.

However, God’s signs are visible in the dark. The
famous Christmas song says, “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.” The Magi’s star radiates in the silence of the night leading them to the divine encounter with the infant King. The night is when the noise of words and the
frenzy of the daytime diminishes. It is a time when God’s voice becomes loud and clear. God’s light shines brightly in the silence of the night. Cardinal Sarah writes in his book, The Power of Silence Against the Dictatorship of Noise,
“There is a language of the stars that we can neither know nor comprehend but that God understands perfectly” (p.88). The star represents God’s presence in both the cosmic darkness and the darkness of our souls. Only the light of God’s
love can illumine those dark spots.

The Magi followed their star diligently. We must follow our own star. We must identify with to follow our star. I believe that each person’s
star is different. This star can also disappear if we succumb to the Herod, if we submit to the darkness of societal pressures. As soon as the Magi stop over at Herod’s place, they seize seeing their star. Pride and arrogance can quench the star in us.
The star in us is sustained by simplicity of heart and by constant recognition of the need to look unto God as its source.

Finally, the Magi offer the infant king great
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold expresses Christ’s kingship, frankincense expresses his priesthood, while myrrh shows the sacrificial nature of Christ’s death. The Magi are gentiles, yet they recognize Christ’s kingship and make
donations to him. That is what the Epiphany represents, the revelation of the universal kingship of Christ. The prophet Isaiah says, “Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the Lord” (Is. 60:6). Saint Paul reminds us that “the gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6). What gifts do we offer to Jesus?
If gentiles could recognize him and offer him generous gifts, how much more believers like us? Do we merely grumble and refuse to give to the church? Do we pay him enough homage with the things God has given to us? Do we sufficiently support the course of
the gospel with our donation? Do we appreciate everyone as members of Christ’s body despite their racial or ethnic background?

Looking at the Holy Family, one would think it should be completely free from worries in the human sense. But that’s not correct. In fact, the challenges of the Holy Family start right after the birth of Jesus as Simeon foretells at his presentation.
King Herod tries to eliminate him forcing Joseph to flee to Egypt. They’re forced to become strangers in Egypt. In today’s gospel, Luke narrates how the Holy Family travels to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. The boy Jesus gets lost. Being in
his puberty, Jesus begins to explore not just his physical environment but his spiritual connection with his heavenly Father. He stays back in the temple without parental consent. The parents begin their journey back home only to discover that their son isn’t
in the departing team. They are anxious, search for him everywhere, then return to Jerusalem. On finding him after three days, Mary expresses her feelings to Jesus, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with
great anxiety.” Jesus responds with what appears to be a goofy answer, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This sets the stage for unveiling his mission as the Son of God.

The first reading presents different challenges regarding family life in the Old Testament. Elkanah has two wives, Hannah and Peninah with both wives entangled in constant conflict. Peninah has
children while Hannah has none. Peninah would mock Hannah and would take advantage of her barrenness before the husband. Hannah worries mostly about having her own child. Hannah resorts to praying and seeking help from God. In today’s reading, Hannah’s
prayers are answered. She begets a boy child. Since she promised to dedicate this child to God in return, she takes the boy Samuel to the temple in thanksgiving to God. Hannah demonstrates to us the power of patience, prayer, fidelity, and gratitude
in family life.

The lesson from the readings is to recognize that family life has its ordeals: challenges from the marriage relationship itself; challenges arising from infertility
and barrenness; challenges from parenting responsibilities and upbringing of children; challenges from gender roles and responsibilities as husband and wife. Some challenges also arise from personality and character styles of individuals in the family. We
need to realize that the presence of challenges doesn’t make the family bad, rather it depends on how they are handled and addressed.

Even the Holy Family has its challenges
and conflicting moments. Mary doesn’t feel good about the boy Jesus not following them back to Nazareth. She feels anxious that he is missing. She expresses her feelings this way, “Son, why have you done this to us?” (Lk. 2:48) Mary makes
Jesus to understand their feelings and the anxiety caused them by his disappearance. She verbalizes her feelings in a compassionate way.

Saint Paul gives us appropriate ingredients for
healthy functioning in family life by the invitation to embrace “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven you.” The Pauline challenge is this,
“so must you also do” (Col. 3:13). We must also forgive. That’s the only way to achieve a happy family life. We must be compassionate and be willing to show kindness. We must be humble, gentle, and patient in our relationship with each other.
We must be ready to bear with our family members in all that we do. We must be willing to forgive each other because such is a Christian obligation. That way, we sustain the bond of unity and of peace in Christ Jesus. Saint Paul includes everyone in the family
code: spouses, parents, children. Everyone must shun bitterness in relating with another. No individual is perfect, hence, we all err. What matters is how we appreciate him/her as a gift to the family.

Let us therefore emulate the Holy Family in making sacrifice for the other. Mary and Joseph sacrifice for Jesus; they go back to look for him. They show him compassion and love and not bitterness or resentment. Parents, should avoid
bitterness in dealing with their children. Treat them with compassion. Understand the various neurological, hormonal, and developmental changes that take place in children as they grow. The more your children feel comfortable with you, the more they trust
you, they open up to you and confide in you. Jesus opens up to Mary and Joseph, “Why are you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk. 2:49-50).

Again, let’s be patient with one another. Let’s be kind and gentle. Let’s make humility a way of relationship in the coming year. The word of God teaches us to be thankful to God in all its richness. Let’s make our families places
of thanksgiving to God. May the joys of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph fill our homes and inspire us to a fulfilled family life. Amen.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one great Feast that celebrates victory over sin and death. Mary, at the end of her earthly
life, was taken up body and soul into heaven. In Mary, we see the incorruptibility of the flesh because she dedicated herself fully to the will of God. Mary embraced the mission of salvation by consenting to be the mother of Christ.

The gospel narrates the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth following the annunciation. That encounter unfolds several theological contents for believers. The greetings exchanged by Mary and Elizabeth reveal the mystery
of the greatness of God, the mystery of the plan of salvation in Christ. Elizabeth declared, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She continued, “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” Her final words to Mary were, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk. 1:45). Elizabeth was inspired by a supernatural joy. She knew that Mary was
the mother of the Lord. The child in her womb reacted in an extraordinary fashion too.

What followed Elizabeth’s proclamation was the Magnificat, the great canticle of the Blessed
Mother; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. Mary acknowledged the favors and graces bestowed on her. She recognized her Blessedness in all generations as conferred upon her by God. God has shown mercy to
those who fear him. In the Magnificat, we see the great attributes of God listed by Mary- faithfulness, justice, love, power, joy, and compassion for the lowly. God looked upon the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary and lifted her above all creatures to be
the Mother of his Son. Today, the church celebrates her glorious assumption; she is the Queen of angels in heaven.

The first reading gives us the image of “the woman adorned with
the Sun, with the moon under her feet, and whose head is crowned with twelve stars.” That image symbolizes the Blessed Virgin Mary. The battle signifies that God planned to defeat the devil through the birth of Christ. Scripture says, “Then the
dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.” (Rev. 12:4-5) It is hard to say exactly what this image is, but it
is a prophecy that pointed closely to the image of Christ. The battle with the devil was real in the life of Christ. He conquered sin and death on the Cross. Christ battled for forty days and forty nights with the devil (Matthew chapter 4). Mary’s conception
was prophesied by Isaiah this way, “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son and shall call him Emmanuel” (Is. 7:14). This male child is the one whose reign is forever and whose kingdom shall have no end.

Saint Paul chronicles the power of Christ in the second reading. Contrasting Christ with Adam, Paul calls him the “first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” According to this passage, when Christ has
destroyed every sovereignty and power, the “last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1Cor. 15:26). Obviously, there are a lot of enemies to be destroyed in this world, death being the last. Death seems to be man’s ultimate enemy. It is the enemy
destroyed by the resurrection of Christ. Christ destroyed death and gave us power through his resurrection. This defeat of the last enemy means, as Paul said, “so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1Cor. 15:22).

I think that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary communicates to us our final destination in life, the power we have over death. It tells us of the importance of God’s grace in our life. It reminds us how
much battle we do and how much strength from God we need to enable us to overcome. There are so many enemies confronting our efforts to make heaven. Monsters that we have to defeat; enemies daily wrestling to devour us, or at worst to take us away from God’s
presence. Peter warns us this way, “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). This is real. On individual basis, we know that we face temptations on daily
basis. The eyes want to look at images that result to concupiscence of the flesh. The various salacious speeches we utter. The various poor uses of God’s name. The avarice in consumption of food and drinks. The urge to refuse to help or assist when needed.

On the part of the church, there is a constant effort to pull God’s community down. The negative attitude from some members of the church -gossips, calumnies, and aspersions which come from
within. Members pitch themselves against others. Sometimes, leaders are attacked and discouraged. From outside, the church is seen as an institution that opposes the way of the world and needs to be pulled down. Different forces attack institutions like marriage,
priesthood, the Eucharist, etc. These are the images of the dragon attempting to devour the children of God.

Still within, there is the dragon of the flesh pulling down those placed
to lead the church. Recently, the sex abuse of children and mostly boys have kept inflicting a great wound on the church. Just yesterday, we received a letter from Archbishop Lori yesterday which started this way,

Dear Friend in Christ,

I regret that I write you today regarding a painful matter that continues to shake the faith of God’s people and undermine the Church’s mission to
spread the Gospel. Earlier today, a
report by a Pennsylvania Grand Jury was released, revealing a pattern of institutional failure on the part of six dioceses related to the sexual abuse of children by clergy and other representatives of the Church. The report includes the names of some
300 priests accused of abuse, as well as the bishops who led the six dioceses at the time the abuse occurred.” (This is on the internet).

It is an unfortunate situation which needs
all of us to continue to offer prayers. With Saint Paul, I invite the people of God; “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the
Lord’s people.Pray also for me” (Eph. 6:18-19). Our Mother Mary overcame through God’s grace. We can only overcome through the grace of God. May the Blessed Virgin Mary pray for us. Amen.

We celebrate today, the great feast of Saint John the Baptist. John is the most popular
prophet of the New Testament. Of him Christ proclaimed, “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11; Lk. 7:28).

As I read about John the Baptist’s story, I learnt that his relationship with Christ has affected the structuring of nature in the calendar of events today. When John was informed that Jesus was baptizing while he was baptizing, John said about
himself, “You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him… He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:28,30). The 2018 Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and
Proclaimers of the Word, says, “Today’s solemnity, which (in the northern hemisphere) occurs near the longest day of the year, just as the daylight is beginning to diminish, is linked to our celebration on December 24-25. Then, just as daylight
is at its shortest span, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world. What we celebrate on the cosmic clock, we apply to our own lives.”

What do we learn from John
the Baptist? We learn that hsi relationship with Jesus was designed by God for the fulfilment of the messianic kingdom. John’s mission was in anticipation of the inauguration of Jesus’ mission. The mystery began right from the father, Zechariah’s
encounter with the angel while ministering at the temple. Zechariah lost his speech for the nine months preceding John’s birth because he doubted the reality of Elizabeth’s conception. His voice was restored as a sign of the voice which John would
be to the Christ. Elizabeth, conceived by special divine intervention at an age that was biologically impossible for child-bearing. The Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth three months before the birth of John. During Mary’s visit, there was a special encounter;
an exchange between the “Voice” and the “Word”. John the Baptist was said to have “leapt for joy” because Christ imparted the Holy Spirit upon him right from the womb.

When Jesus appeared on the scene, the Scriptures didn’t narrate any special incident where Jesus was introduced to John before he could identify him. That introduction took place in the womb-to-womb exchange between Mary and Elizabeth by the Holy
Spirit. This made it possible for John to point to Jesus and refer his disciples to him saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29,36).

The
miracle and mystery surrounding John the Baptist became obvious at his naming ceremony. In today’s gospel, we notice the confusion surrounding what name the newborn would be given. The relatives had already decided to call him Zechariah 11, after his
father. The mom, inspired by the Spirit had concluded he’d be called John. The people’s reaction is, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” They didn’t know that John was a relative of Jesus. He was fortunate
from birth. He was fortunate to embrace the Lord from the womb. He was fortunate because the Lord gave him his name from his mother’s womb. He was fortunate because the Holy Spirit already descended on him at conception. He was fortunate because he was
going to be a voice that speaks for the Lord. John was fortunate to receive a name special, a name not chosen by the people but by God himself. John pointed to Jesus, a name which means, “the Lord has shown favor” while Jesus means, “savior”
or “the Lord saves”.

The manifestation of John’s mission was great; “So, they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet
and wrote, “John is his name”. All became amazed. Zechariah’s speech returned. Just as he spoke in the Benedictus, “The Lord has visited his people and redeemed them. He has raised up for us a mighty savior, in the house of David his
servant”. All were amazed at the name which the Lord gave to John.

The prophet Isaiah tells us, “The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my
name” (Is. 49:2). Today, I want us to reflect on our names. I want each of to believe that God consecrated you and chose you from the womb for a purpose. God knows what you’re to bear and guides your parents to a decision on your name.

My name, for instance, is Vincent. Vincent is what God knows me as. Vincent means “Invincible or Victor”. My parents knew the power in a name and were guided by the Holy Spirit to choose
my name. So also, every parent, I believe. Think about the consultations you make before naming your child. Some couples conduct researches for days and months before agreeing on a child’s name. Some argue and debate before they come up with their child’s
name. Sometimes they disagree, then father calls him/her something, while mother calls him/her another. Grandparents give their own name while in-laws call something even different. There is always a reason behind such going back and forth. There is something
in a name. Either you name the child following a saint that you admire, your parents/grandparents that you love; a celebrity, or from a personal experience of yours. My dad named me after his one and only brother that died as a young adult. He loved him and
loved his name. I believe he wanted me to help keep the memories of his beloved brother. So, I give you some challenges/assignments today:

Find out the meaning of your name if
you didn’t know it before now.

Find out the circumstances surrounding the naming of your name at childbirth. What informed your parent(s) to call you the name that you bear?

For couples still bearing children, do not give your children names with no reasons. Find out what the Lord wants of you for your child.

Finally, realize today, that the
Lord cares for you in a special way. If he identifies you by name, then he knows you. If he knows you that much, he cares for you. Israel thought the Lord had forgotten her, almost got discouraged. But the prophet Isaiah woke them up with such a reminder,
“Though I thought I had toiled in vain. And for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God” (Is. 49:4).

God knows
you by name. He knows the challenges you’re going through. He knows you in your lowest moment as well as in your most excited times. Before him you’re special, you’re made glorious. Like David, he wants you to be special. Like John the Baptist,
he wants you to be his voice. He has special interest in you because you bear his image. You represent him by your name. Let us ask God to make our names special; to make us a light to the nations. That way, like John the Baptist, the name of the Lord will
be glorified through our names. Amen.

After Moses related all the words and ordinances of the Lord to them, the Israelites responded, “We will do everything
that the Lord has told us” (Ex. 24:3). Then Moses offered holocausts and sacrifices of bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. The covenant was ratified by the sprinkling of the blood on the people. Then Moses reminds them, “This is the blood of
the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of his” (Ex. 24:8). The blood signified the presence of the Lord. It was a symbol of the Passover lamb.

At Sinai, the victim’s blood sealed the covenant between God and his people. Interestingly, the covenant between God and his people is characterized by sacrifice. Scott Hahn addresses the issue of Christ as the Lamb well in his book, The
Lamb’s Supper. Hahn states, “As early as the second generation described in Genesis, we find, in the story of Cain and Abel, the first recorded example of a sacrificial offering. “Cain brought to the Lord an offering of fruit of the
ground, and Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions” (Ge. 4:3-4). In due time, we encounter similar burnt offerings from Noah (Gen. 8:20-21), Abraham (Gen 15:8-10; 22:13), Jacob (Gen. 46:1), and others. In Genesis, the patriarchs
were forever building altars, and altars served primarily as places of sacrifice.” (The Lamb’s Supper (p.16).

The Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the New Covenant,
to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. One example is Abraham’s attempt to offer his only son Isaac. In describing the two sacrifices, Hahn says, “The similarities were many. First, Jesus, like Isaac, was a faithful father’s only beloved son. Again,
like Isaac, Jesus carried uphill the wood for His own sacrifice, which would be consummated on a hill in Jerusalem. In fact, the site where Jesus died, Calvary, was one of the hillocks on Moriah’s range. Moreover, the very first line of the New Testament
identifies Jesus with Isaac as ‘the son of Abraham’ (Mt. 1:1).”

But there is a huge difference: Jesus’ sacrifice is the definitive sacrifice offered once and
for all. The Lamb is Jesus who died on the Cross. Scripture records how John identifies Christ and points him to his disciples: “The next day John was again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of
God” (Jn. 1:36). That “Lamb of God” image is very strong at Mass, the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. Hahn explains the Mass further, “No one has to tell you that. Perhaps you’ve sung or recited the words a thousand
times: “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.” Just as many times you’ve seen the priest elevate the broken Host and proclaim, ‘This is the Lamb of God…’ The Lamb is Jesus… He is Lord,
God, Savior, Messiah, King, Priest, Prophet…” He is the one “who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God” ((Heb. 9:13-14).

The gospel records
an account of Christ’s Passover with his disciples. While they are at Supper, he takes the bread and says the blessing, breaks the bread and gives it to the disciples. The same thing he does with the cup. He says to them, “Take it, this is my body.
This is the blood of the covenant which will be shed for many” (Mk. 14:22-24). The body of Christ is a living sacrifice. He sheds his blood for us and offers Himself for the sins of the world. Then he says to us, “Do this, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:26). That is what we do at Mass. That is what we are gathered here to do. That is the greatest covenant we can enter into with God, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

After Moses has spoken God’s intention in the Old Testament, the people respond, “We will do everything that the Lord has told us”. And Christ tells us at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of me”. Can
we, like the Old Testament Israel, say, “We will do everything that the Lord has told us”? Or, how can we do everything that the Lord tells us? The answer is to take the sacrifice of the Mass as serious as we can. The Eucharist, as we know, is
a sacrament, an act of thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus Christ. It is the source and summit of all the sacraments. The Eucharist is Holy Communion. In it, we commune with God’s holiness, and through it, we transmit same to the community of believers.
It is the highest form of prayer ever.

Surely, each of us embraces God differently. We approach him in the way we know and understand best. But in the Holy Eucharist, we all receive
Christ- eat His Body and drink his Blood. Christ assures us, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger. No one who believes in me will ever thirst.” (Jn.6:35).

Do we not differ in our approach to prayer? The reason is because we feel God differently. Consider the story of the little boy who went out under the rain. The rain was heavy with storm, thunder and lightning. The mom got so scared and was worried
that the thunder might harm her little boy. As she rushed out to grab her boy, she found him comfortably smiling and staring upwards at the lightening. She was so mad at him and dragged him off. This mom was curious to know what was amusing her son about the
thunder and lightning. The little boy said, “Mom, God was taking pictures of me, and I had to pose well and smile as he took the shots”. You can see how differently we understand God. For some, God is scary, for others He is welcoming, and calm.

In the Eucharist, we are called to pray to God always. Our whole life is thanksgiving. Holiness, grace, and love, flow from our relationship with God. The Holy Eucharist unites us as members of
the mystical body of Christ. It brings us into Holy Communion with Christ and with one another. In this communion, we become one family. We become one body (Corpus). We share the body of Christ (Corpus Christi).

On this day, we celebrate and honor the Holy Eucharist. We celebrate the Real Presence of Christ. We reverence Christ in the tabernacle. We also commune with each other by extending God’s love to others. Think of what you receive
and how you receive it. Do you really do what the Blessed Eucharist commands? Do you live out God’s love and mercy? Do you live out God’s peace and forgiveness? Do you reflect God’s holiness manifested in the Eucharist? Does the Holy Eucharist
really permeate your entire being? Today’s feast is a day to remind ourselves of the great benefits we have in Christ through the Eucharist. Let us ask God to help us through the prayer called Anima Christi: “Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body
of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from Christ's side, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malicious
enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me. And bid me come unto Thee. That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels. Forever and ever. Amen”